Blessed in Suffering

We are led back to the Baptism

where God in the fullness of Father, Son and Spirit affirmed who Jesus was and what he was called to do.

Then he was sent to be tempted in the wilderness for 40 Days.

~40 days is the furthest limit of the human body without food.

Noah released the raven after 40 days of rain, looking for signs of land.

The Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness.

Moses spent a total of 40 days on Mount Sinai.

The spies were sent to explore Canaan for 40 days.

Lent consists of 40 days.

Jesus was Really Tempted

By turning rocks into bread.

To let the angels to deliver him from his suffering.

To give up his authority as God, to simply be human.

Tempted to not be beaten & nailed to the cross.

Jesus Really Suffered

His Own People tried to kill him several times.

Jesus Suffered, was Crucified, and Died - The Apostle’s Creed

God Really Suffers

For 120 years while Noah built the ark for others to respond his warning.

For 40 years for the Hebrews to stop their grumbling in the wilderness.

For a whole generation of people in the time of Babylonia Exile.

For us to decide to follow Jesus.

The Good News here is that God saves in Baptism (a New Covenant Sign)

- It is no longer necessary to be circumcised:

mutilate the flesh to be initiated into the kingdom of God

- Jesus was Resurrected and given all authority to cleanse us from all sin.

- Our Baptisms need to be confirmed through personal recognition and acceptance in faith as we are able.

For most, life goes far beyond Baptism, and it includes some suffering.

When we start to believe in Jesus and begin the journey of faith, we are excited and crave for receiving a word from God, meeting together with God’s people, and to share our lives with them. After a while, some of the sins that we so eagerly and genuinely rejected may reappear, or by not attending to the Means of Grace of hearing/reading God’s word, praying consistently, and surrounding ourselves with brothers and sisters in Christ, we start to lose some of that faith and love of God and others that come with it.

Paul was addressed the Very Real Suffering of believers being persecuted. - 1 Peter 3:13-22

“Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?” - vs. 13

Apparently, there are plenty of “haters”

When people see others doing good, they may feel convicted in the hearts for not doing the same, and then they may take it out on you.

He says It is better that their suffering be the will of God rather than resulting from anger and sin.

If they are to persevere, they need patience (longsuffering) and a reason to continue to hope.

Paul says that they were to sanctify/venerate/revere Christ in the hearts,

To be ready to give the reason for why they hope in Christ

with gentleness, respect, and keep a clear conscience.

Paul says Christ was patient with us, so we should be patient with others.

Who can patiently endure suffering easily? No one on their own.

In Hebrew, the word used for patience is related “to be long” or slow to become angry.

In the NT, Long-Suffering Or Patience is a fruit of the Spirit.

The Long-Suffering of God – God’s patience in self-limitation, allowing us to live lives of free will, that might result in our choosing to reject God in our lives.

Attending to Jesus in Our Suffering– sometimes, we wish we could have been with Jesus in person, even when he was alone in the wilderness, hungry and questioning his purpose.

Long-Suffering is a Sign of the Covenant

If God can be said to be suffering in waiting on us to decide to accept his love and grace through Christ on the cross, receiving his image, then, God chooses to suffer for us, then enduring suffering is a sign of God’s covenant with us.

If your life is a worshipful reflection of obedience to Christ,

then all our suffering is for Christ’s sake,

Then Suffering can be seen as an opportunity to show God’s goodness.

“If you are righteous, then you are suffering for Christ’s sake.” – Clement of Alexandria

“If you suffer as a Christian, you have nothing to be ashamed of… Christ’s Glory is revealed in the church when it suffers.” – Hilary of Arles

But, Our suffering must not be cheapened by denying that we sin or tempted, or denying Godly authority, trying to cheat our way into heaven, or soliciting pity from others.

Job 13:15 NIV

15 Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.

Lamentations 3:31–33 NIV

31 For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. 32 Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. 33 For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.

1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV

13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Matthew 5:10 NIV

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The Real presence of the Spirit of God comes near while we are Long-suffering/Patient in affliction.

It is a sign of God’s covenant that we will not be overcome, when we bear it with him.

Christ suffered and died to make a way for you. Remember, Christ descended into Hell to bring some back.

No amount of suffering, can separate us from his love. We don’t bear suffering alone.

All of our suffering in temptations, trials, and tragedies are opportunities to share in God’s goodness.

Doing All the Good We Can Here and Now is our Mission.

“Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.”

If not you, then who?

If not now, then when?

If not that way, then how?

Thank God that he said it would be him,

that there was time to do it,

and that God did so with love.

Would you join him? Will you suffer so that other may see God too?

That is the Great Commission: to share with others the Good News of the nearness of the God who suffers with us.

If only they would believe...